Inevitable
by SilverWolf313
Summary: This is my first FanFic! There's a spicy romance between Finn and Marceline, but everything may not be as it seems... I hope you guys enjoy it. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Finn sat on Marceline's couch, his expression showing much discomfort. He punched the cushion a few times, then realizing that the seat wouldn't become any softer, he pouted and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Chill out, Finn." The Vampire Queen insisted.

"Honestly, Marcy, this couch is horrible. I'd rather sit on needles."

"I could make that happen for ya." She twisted her lips into a sinister smile, and then began to chuckle.

Finn pulled his bottom lip in with his teeth and stared at the floor. "This sucks," he muttered.

Marceline rolled her eyes and went to join him on the couch, but instead of sitting on it, she hovered just a few inches above the cushion. She floated there for a moment, yawned, and went to retrieve her axe-bass from where it was sitting in the corner of the room. She occupied her spot again and began to pluck the bass with fluid, bony fingers.

Finn looked at her as she played, his eyes growing wider when the realization struck him. He thought she looked…beautiful.

He shook his head as if to banish the thought from his mind. _She's my best friend. This is too weird._ Still, as he gazed at her, the uncontrollable feeling of warmth and butterflies emerged inside him. He had never felt this way about anyone before, let alone his vampire friend.

"M-Marceline?" The human stuttered.

"What's up, Finn?" she asked, not bothering to stop playing her bass.

"Do you, you know, like anybody? Like-like, I mean."

Marceline's fingers froze suddenly and the room grew silent. She sat in deep thought for a moment, then met Finn's gaze. "I don't know. Why do you ask?"

"I-I was just wondering. You never really mention that kind of stuff, so I wanted to ask." Finn's cheeks grew pink.

Marceline raised an eyebrow. "Okay then," she said. She noticed that her friend was still blushing and snickered. Then she leaned in and pressed her lips to his cheek. The pinkness in his cheeks grew to a bright red, which made Marceline laugh even harder.

Out of nowhere her laughter faded and was replaced with a serious expression.

"You okay?" Finn asked.

"Yeah. It's just, when you mentioned the whole relationship thing it reminded me of something my dad said a few days ago."

"Oh? What did he say?" Curiosity danced across every word.

Marceline pursed her lips and locked her gaze on Finn's. "Well, you know how I'm the queen and all?" Without giving Finn the chance to answer, she continued, "Well my dad is all concerned about me ruling the Nightosphere and junk. He said that since I'm a thousand years old, it's time for me to grow up and take responsibility. It's inevitable. So I need a king, and I'm not allowed to kill this one," she scoffed.

Finn sat there, unblinking, his eyes fixed on the wall straight ahead. He tapped his fingers nervously on the cushion.

"So…yeah." Marceline broke the silence.

Finn remained in his lifeless trance.

"Hey, earth to Finn!"

"What? Oh. Sorry, Marceline. I'm just in shock."

She sighed and floated down to take a seat next to her friend. "It's not like I'll find a king, anyway. There's no one who likes me, at least not like that."

Finn drew in his breath as he noticed Marceline's eyes fill with tears. He suddenly felt helpless and full of remorse. It was on rare occasion that she ever cried, so seeing her do so took him aback.

"Don't worry, Marcy," Finn began. We'll find you a boyfriend. There are plenty of people who love you. I promise."

Chapter 2

Marceline sat on the couch, her arms wrapped around her legs as her chin rested on her knees. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks. She would sniffle now and again and occasionally brush the tears off of her face with the back of her hand. Finn sat on the other end of the couch,, sadness plastered all over his face.

He sighed deeply and slid closer to her. _Please don't kill me, _he thought. Carefully, Finn wrapped his arms around Marceline's body and pulled her closer to him. To his amazement, she didn't pull away or make a fuss like he expected. She snuggled herself into his body, her hands tightly gripping his t-shirt.

"I-I love you, Marceline. It's going to be okay," he whispered as he ran his fingers through her raven black hair. Finn's heartbeat increased as soon as he realized what he had just said. He loved her? His breathing became shallow and the room began to grow hotter. Beads of sweat formed on the boy's forehead.

"I love you too, Finn." She said it with no hesitation.

A slight smile spread across his lips as he heard the vampire say those words. Without being able to control himself, he pulled her even closer to him. He pursed his lips as the overwhelming urge to kiss her came over him. _Should I?_

Before he could take another breath, Marceline's lips were crushed against his. His eyes were wide with surprise for a few seconds, then they slowly closed as he began to kiss her back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he soon mimicked her actions by wrapping his arms around her waist.

Finn lost all sense of consciousness, his mind drowned in a deep sea of excitement and happiness. He opened his mouth and molded his lips around hers. Marceline pulled away suddenly.

"I'm sorry," Finn said. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No. I just don't know if we should kiss like that. I kind of have sharp fangs and all. The last thing I want is to accidentally turn you into a vampire because I kissed you too hard."

Finn gave her a half-smile and pressed his forehead against hers. "You're not going to do that. We'll be careful; don't worry about it." He brushed her cheek gently with his hand. "Just kiss me," he breathed.

She leaned in slowly, and soon their lips were playing across each other's again. Marceline climbed on top of him, pressing her body hard against his, kissing him passionately. After a few minutes they stopped and stared at each other, breathing hard, their bodies entangled.

Marceline slid off of him and cupped her hands over her face. "This is wrong," she began. "You're too young for a relationship. Besides, I'm no good for you, Finn. I'm no good for anyone. All I'll do is hurt you."

"You're amazing, Marcy. We have so much in common. You always find a way to make me laugh. You're pretty and sweet and just…awesome. Tell me how any of that is wrong." Finn wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"I'm just no good. You could find someone so much better. What about Bonnibel? I know you have a thing for her."

Finn shrugged his shoulders. "I did, until I realized that you're the one I love more. Yo, you're like, my best friend. We're already so tight as it is. And we seem to have the same feelings for each other. Honestly, I don't see anything wrong. I think that this is great."

Marceline gave him a smile and kissed his forehead. "Yeah, I guess it is."

They sat in silence for a moment. She leaned closer to Finn and tilted her head to put her mouth inches from his neck, then paused. The bittersweet scent of human blood filled her nostrils and caused the vampire's bloodlust to flare up. She filled her lungs with a deep breath of air, then shut her eyes tightly in concentration. Her lips parted slightly, and Marceline closed them gently on his neck, held them there for a few seconds, and then kissed his neck again, this time in a different spot.

Goosebumps lined Finn's arms, partly because the feeling of the girl he loved kissing his neck was so incredible, and party because of the nervousness that aroused in him as he felt her cold fangs touch his skin.

"I just wanted to see if I could do it without killing you," she said as she pulled away. "But now that I know I can…" And she pressed her lips to his neck once again, but this time she held nothing back. Finn sighed blissfully and grasped Marceline's hand as he felt her tongue brush his skin, her cool lips dancing across every inch of his neck.

When she finally stopped she gave a small giggle and rested her head on his shoulder. She yawned and whispered, "I really do like you, Finn-a lot."

"I really do like you too, Marceline—a lot."

Chapter 3

Finn's eyes grew wide as he poked his head up through the hole in the floor, his hands gripping the ladder tightly. Marceline stripped her shirt off and slid her jeans down to her ankles, then kicked them into the corner of her room. _This is so pervy, _he thought. Though his conscience told him to do otherwise, he couldn't look away.

"Don't think I don't know that you're watching me, Finn," Marceline snickered. Finn blushed and climbed back down the ladder. He sat on the couch, embarrassed, and crossed his hands over his lap.

Marcy floated down to the living room. She had changed into her pajamas, which consisted of a tank top and a pair of sweatpants. "Did you like what you saw, lover boy?"

"I-I, well…"

"Ha! Don't worry about it. You're a teenage boy. I expect nothing less." She gave him a peck on the cheek. "So what do you want to do?"

"I don't know. I know that I have to get home soon before Jake flips."

"Yeah, you've got a point. Hmm…well you can stay for another hour or so," she insisted. "We'll watch TV."

"Sure," he said. Finn reached over to hold her hand. Marceline flipped on the television using the remote, but didn't pay any attention to the screen. Instead, she tilted her head back and fixed her eyes on the ceiling, her mind wondering.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I was just thinking about how badly I want you to kiss me."

Finn smiled and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, then began to kiss her. It started slow, then became more passionate, and before he knew what was going on Marceline was straddling him. He slid his hands underneath her shirt and pressed down on her bare back, bringing her body closer to his. Finn's face was surrounded in a curtain of black hair as the vampire kissed him.

Still on top of him, Marceline pulled away to press her forehead against his. "We'd better calm down before we get too carried away," she sighed. "I'm wearing sweat pants, so I can feel a lot more than when I'm wearing jeans."

Finn blushed when he realized what she was talking about. "Sorry…"

She laughed and pressed herself hard against him. Finn sighed and she laughed again. "Yeah, that's why."

She floated up into the air and sat down on the edge of the couch. Finn sat up, and she slid closer to him. Marceline relaxed herself against the boy's body and he wrapped his arms tenderly around her, then leaned in to peck the area of her neck where she had been bitten.

"We'll be able to lose control with each other someday, but not yet," she said.

"Good. I don't think I'm ready yet," Finn admitted.

Marcy smiled and peeled the hat off Finn's head in order to play with his crazy blonde hair.

Chapter 4

Finn glanced at the clock. "Oh my Glob! I've got to head home." They had been watching TV for an hour and a half, their minds lost in the contents of the show.

"Alright," Marceline said.

He slid off the rock she called a couch and grabbed his pack from where it sat on the floor. As Finn opened the door to leave, Marceline called after him.

"What's up?" he asked.

"There's something I should probably tell you."

"Oh…kay," he responded, nervousness protruding in his voice.

"Well, the whole thing I told you about what my dad said about the fact that I need a king…yeah, that was kind of a lie."

"What?" Finn's heart sank, and his cheeks grew flushed with anger.

"Yeah…I guess I never should have pranked you so perfectly…again."

"M-Marceline! Why did you…gah! You lied about such a serious thing!"

Her devilish smile sank into a frown when she noticed how angry he was. "I know. I just wanted to see if you liked me, but I know you do now. And you know I like you now. So, what's the harm that came from it?"

Finn crossed his arms over his chest and released a long breath of air. "You still shouldn't have lied. How can I trust you with anything?"

Marceline hovered over and hung her arm over Finn's shoulder. "It was a lie told for a good purpose. You think we would have gotten together as boyfriend and girlfriend if I hadn't pulled that prank? You can trust me because you love me, and because I never lied to hurt you. We're together now. You should thank me."

"I guess," Finn muttered, his disappointed expression unchanged. "Am I really your boyfriend?"

"Duh," she said, a smile spreading across her face.

Finn gave her a half-smile and kissed her cheek. "Alright, no harm, no foul."

"So we're good?"

"Yeah, we're good." He brushed his lips against hers and headed out the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Finn," Marceline said with a wink.

"I'll be over first thing in the morning." And with that, Finn left the cave and made his way back to the tree fort, his eyes gazing up at the stars the entire way home.


	2. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Finn awoke in a cold sweat, his breathing heavy and uneven. A beam of bright sunlight shone through his window, illuminating the entire room in a golden haze. The boy wiped the perspiration off of his forehead and took a few deep breaths to regulate his breathing. He looked down to see that he had a bundle of sheets clutched to his chest. Finn smiled and gave the sheets a kiss, then hopped out of his bed.

"Good morning, sleepy buns!" Jake entered the room holding a spatula in his right hand. "I've got breakfast…err…lunch ready for ya! But I made ham and eggs, so it's kind of breakfast-ish."

"Lunch? What time is it?"

"It's one o'clock, dude. I was starting to worry about you—didn't think you were ever gonna wake up." Jake paused as Finn let out a loud yawn. "I came in to check to see if you were still breathin' a few times, but you were, so I figured I'd just leave you alone."

"Woah, one o'clock! Man, I promised Marceline I'd be at her house in the morning."

Jake raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah," Finn said. "Has she tried to call or anything? Is she angry at me?"

"No, we haven't gotten any phone calls today, at least not that I know of. Why are you so worried about it, anyway? It's just Marceline. She'll be all pissy for a few minutes and then she'll get over it."

"I don't know. I just don't want to hurt her feelings or anything…" Finn couldn't stop himself from blushing.

"Oh no," Jake said as he gave Finn a wicked smile. "You have a thing for the Vampire Queen!"

"What? No, man, I just don't want to hurt her feelings! That would be uncool."

"C'mon, Finn, every time I say her name your face turns red and you get the biggest smile on your face. Watch!"

Jake handed Finn a small mirror and said the vampire's name. Within seconds the human's face became flushed with color and a smile tugged at both corners of his mouth.

"See? That's the "love" expression right there," Jake laughed as he took the mirror back.

"Okay! Geesh," Finn exclaimed, irritated. "She's…amazing. Just everything about her is…I don't know."

"Hey, I'm here for you, brother. Tell me how you feel about her. It's time to pull the cork on the Finn love bottle, because I know it's been bottled up for a while."

"I don't know where to start."

"Just say exactly how you feel about her," Jake said.

"Okay, well, it's like, when she talks I hold my breath. Every word she says sounds like music, and I'm afraid to miss a single thing she says, because then I feel like I missed out on part of a beautiful song. I know it sounds all mushy-gushy, but it's true." Finn twiddled his thumbs nervously.

"Awe, dude, that's adorable!"

Finn sucked in a deep breath. "She just makes me so happy. Whenever I'm around her, I just feel like nothing in the world could ever go wrong. And she's really cool, and we like all the same stuff, and she's really pretty. I just…really, really like her."

"So ask her out!" Jake encouraged. "Who knows, maybe she likes you, too."

The boy smiled proudly. "We're kind of already dating."

"Wait, what?" Confusion gripped the dog's voice and facial expression. "When did that happen?"

"Last night, man! We were just sitting around talking, and then she kissed me. I kissed her back, of course. And then we talked some more and watched TV and smooched a lot. She practically made out with my neck. And I was on top of her and then she was on top of me and…dude, why are you looking at me like that?"

Jake's eyes were huge and his mouth hung open wide enough to fit a basketball in it.

"What?" Finn asked.

"I didn't even know you went to Marceline's last night…unless you snuck out when I was asleep or something. I could have sworn you were here the whole time. How? What? You're confusing me, bro."

"Huh? You were awake when I left. I even told you that I was going over there. Don't you remember?" Finn's voice began to shake a bit.

"I didn't even talk to you last night. You were passed out asleep in your bed when I got home from Lady's house. I stayed up and played Beemo for a while, so I didn't go to bed until like two in the morning. You were still sleeping like a rock then."

Finn's breathing suddenly stopped and he felt as though his heart had dropped into his stomach. He just stood idle, unblinking.

Jake's voice snapped him back into consciousness. "Are you okay, buddy? Do you want me to make you some spaghetti?" The dog pondered for a moment. "Gah, speaking of food!" He picked up his spatula and sprinted to the kitchen. "Darn it!" Finn heard him yell.

Jake returned with a plate of black ham and eggs, though Finn couldn't tell the difference between the two. "This was supposed to be your breakfast…lunch…brunch! That's the word!" Jake frowned and threw the plate out the window. "Sorry, bro."

"Forget about the food, Jake! I'm flipping out here!"

"I don't know, homie. Maybe it was all just a dream or something," Jake said.

"But…no. It couldn't have been. It was so realistic; there's no way that that was a dream. I mean, we talked and kissed and…" Finn covered his face with his hands.

Jake put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's okay, Finn. We'll get this figured out. Why don't you go talk to Marceline about it? If there's anyone who could give you answers about this, it's her."

Finn wiped the tears from his eyes with his thumbs and gave a nod. "But if it really was all just a dream, this could be pretty awkward."

"Well, unfortunately the only way to find out is by asking her."

"Yeah, you're right. Are you coming with me?" Finn asked as he began to change his clothes. Jake politely turned away.

"I would, man, but no offense: Marceline still kind of gives me the creeps."

"C'mon, Jake, you've come with me to hang out with her before," Finn retorted.

"Yeah, but I don't know how she's going to react to this whole dating thing. She likes you, so the last thing I want is for her to get ticked off and take it out on me, because I know she won't take it out on you."

Half of the human's mouth sank into a frown. "Fine, I'll do it myself." He slipped on his shoes and threw his pack onto his back. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck, buddy! I'm rooting for ya!"

"Here we go," Finn muttered to himself as he made his way outside.

The air was warm and thick, but a gentle breeze served as a relief to the human as he walked with lead feet. He clutched the straps of his backpack tightly until his knuckles turned white. He pulled his bottom lip in with his teeth as his imagination skimmed through all the possible outcomes of talking to Marceline. There was a fear that arose inside him, not because of the fact that she might lose her temper, but because of the possibility of her not feeling the same way.

Finn sighed and shook the notion from his mind. _I have to keep my head up and think positively. I love her…and maybe she loves me, too. She does…she told me she does. It couldn't have been a dream. It happened…didn't it?_

A thousand thoughts swarmed his mind like a colony of angry bees buzzing around in his head. _It's going to be fine, _he told himself.

Slowly he made his way to the Vampire Queen's lair, his heart about to pound out of his chest, his body completely numb, his mind unable to relax.


	3. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Goosebumps lined Finn's arms as he stepped into the cave. It was eerie and unilluminated, only with the exception of the light that shined through Marceline's living room window. A sudden chill ran through the human's body and caused him to shiver.

When he approached the door, his body felt heavy and immovable. His feet dragged slowly onward, his arms hung loosely at his sides, his head became a cement block on his shoulders. Finn could just barely hear the sound of Marceline singing with her bass. With a shaking hand he knocked quietly on the door, almost hoping it was too silent for her to hear.

He would have no such luck. The music stopped abruptly. The door swung open, and in its frame stood the Vampire Queen. Her hair was tied back in a loose ponytail and she was dressed casually in a navy blue tank top and black jeans. A hole had been ripped in them at her left knee.

"Oh hey, Finn. What's up?" She asked as she smiled at her friend.

It took Finn a moment to gather the ability to speak, but after a few seconds he uttered, "I have something I want to talk to you about."

Marceline's smile faded into a curious expression. "Alright. Do you want to come inside?"

"Sure," he said as he followed her into the living room. He took a seat on the couch and Marceline sat about a foot away from him, her body turned to face him. _Uh-oh, that's a bad sign. She's not cuddling me, or even sitting very close to me._

"So is this bad?" she asked.

"No…at least I hope not." Finn kept his eyes down as he spoke. "This is going to sound like a weird question, but what did you do last night?"

"Excuse me?" the vampire hissed.

"I told you it was going to sound weird," he explained. "Please just answer it. It's important."

Marceline raised an eyebrow. "I rocked out on my bass for a while, then got some inspiration for a new song. After I finished writing the first part of it I got tired, so I went upstairs, changed into my PJ's, brushed my fangs, and fell asleep. Same thing I do pretty much every night. Why the hell is that so important? I'd like to know."

A lump formed in Finn's throat. He felt as though a dagger had been thrust right into his heart. He sat there lifelessly, unmoving except for the shaking of his hands. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think, he couldn't feel. The boy did everything he could to hold back the water that was building in his eyes, but it was all in vain; it overflowed, and a single tear streamed down his cheek.

"F-Finn?" Marceline slid closer to him and placed her pale white hand on top of his. When she felt his hand shaking, her eyes softened and her mouth fell into a frown. The vampire wiped the tear off of his face with her forefinger. "Finn, it's okay. What's the matter?"

"It—it was all a dream…it never happened," he stuttered.

"What are you talking about? What never happened?"

Finn shook his head. "Just forget about it. It doesn't matter."

"Well if it makes you this upset than it does matter. You are going to tell me what you were talking about, Finn, or so help me—"

"It doesn't matter, Marceline!" Finn yelled. He paused for a moment to collect himself. "It was just a stupid dream. It doesn't mean anything. I asked what I wanted to ask, and now I'm going home."

He attempted to stand, but Marceline kept a firm grip on his hand and pulled him back onto the couch. "Please stay, Finn. Talk to me. Maybe I can help. I hate seeing you so hurt. When you're hurt, it hurts me…a lot. You don't want me to be hurt, do you?"

Finn shook his head.

"Then talk to me."

"You are gonna flip on me if I do."

"I promise I won't flip, no matter what you say," she assured. "I love you and I want to make you feel better."

The human's heart grew lighter as he heard her say those words. He suddenly felt full of energy. "Last night I had a dream that I came over to your house and we talked for a while. You lied and said that your dad told you that you needed a king. Then you kissed me and I kissed you back, and we were all over each other. And when I left you said that I was your boyfriend, and that actually made me super happy." The words rushed out of his mouth. "But now I'm finding out that none of it really happened and it feels as though my heart's been chopped in half."

Marceline's eyes locked with his, her facial expression showing much concern. Her mouth hung open just a bit.

"I know it's crazy, but it's the truth." Finn's heartbeat increased as he waited for her response, but it never came. "I'm sorry," he said after a while. "I'm sure it's a lot for you to take on at once."

"Are—are you going to be okay?" Her voice shook with concern and worry.

"Eventually, I guess. I don't know…I just feel like I've lost you or something. The dream seemed so real, but now I guess I know that I never had you in the first place. I finally felt happy and just…happy. I was the happiest I had been in forever. And then it just all disappeared. My happiness just…disappeared."

"You…I…" She shook her head. Finn's eyes grew wide as he saw a tear fall from her eye and onto the couch, dying the fabric a darker shade where it landed. "I'm sorry that you're so hurt, Finn. That was never my intention…"

"What? It's not your fault. I was just dumb enough to believe that someone as amazing as you would ever want to be with someone like me. You have nothing to be sorry about." Unable to hold in his emotions any longer, tears began to trickle down his face. Embarrassed, he buried his head in his hands.

"I'd be lucky to be with you," Marceline said quietly. "Please don't let this hurt you, Finn. Please."

"It's a little too late for that, Marcy." His voice was muffled from being spoken into his hands. "I'm going to go home now. I'll talk to you sometime soon."

Finn stood up and walked to the door. As soon as he placed a hand on the knob, Marceline flew over and wrapped her arms tightly around him, squeezing him to her body. Then she kissed him once on the cheek, and then on the forehead.

He quickly reached up to crush his lips to hers. The kiss lasted for a few seconds until the vampire pulled away, her expression sorrowful.

"Finn…we can't…"

"That's only because you won't let us, Marceline! I say we can. I want to so badly. I saw in my dream how our relationship would be, or at least part of it, and it's amazing. I know we're best friends, but I think you might feel the same way about me as I feel about you."

She sighed and pulled away from him to sit back on the couch. "You just don't get it, Finn. We can't be together, okay? We just can't."

Finn couldn't utter a response; he was choked up from trying to fight more tears. He took a deep breath and shook his head. "F-fine," he said as he opened the door to leave. He glimpsed at her one last time, then slammed the door behind him.

Marceline sunk down onto the couch and began to sob. "What have I done?" she whispered to herself. "Why am I so stupid?"

She sat there, crying, her eyes fixed on the door. She wanted more than anything for Finn to come walking back into her house. She wanted to talk to him, to comfort him, to try to make things alright. _I have to tell him, _she thought. _He should know…but he'll hate me. He'll hate me even more._


	4. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Hey, it's okay, man. Take some deep breaths and calm down. You don't need that blood-sucker, anyway. You're way too good for her." Jake pat Finn's back as the boy sat at the table, his eyes looking down, sniffling and choked up. He didn't move except for the occasional quiver of his bottom lip.

Jake stretched his hand to the cupboard and grabbed a plate, then placed it in front of his friend. He took a pot off the stove and spooned some pasta onto the plate, then smothered it with tomato sauce. "Here you go. Jake's homemade spaghetti, made to cure any heartache."

Finn didn't even acknowledge the fact that there was food in front of him. He continued to stare at his lap, his mind focused on nothing but Marceline. "I'm not hungry," he muttered after a while.

Jake frowned and pulled up a chair next to Finn. "You can't let this situation effect you like this, bro. I know it hurts, but it's not the end of the world. Someday you'll meet a girl who you'll fall head over heels in love with, she'll be nuts about you, and you guys will live happily ever after. Just because Marceline isn't that girl, doesn't mean that it's all over."

"She's the only girl I want," the human said.

"What? No, dude. Don't think like that. What about Princess Bubblegum or Flame Princess? What happened to them?"

"They don't like me either. Besides, the way I felt about them doesn't even compare to how I feel about Marceline. I've never felt that way about anyone before. I can't even explain it. No one on this planet makes me happier or more comfortable than she does. I really like her, and for a while I thought I had her. Then I'm suddenly hit in the face with the fact that it wasn't real, and now it feels like I've lost everything. My happiness, my girlfriend, my mind: everything."

Jake's face sank in the realization of his best friend's pain. He sat in deep thought, scratching his chin. His eyes lit with enthusiasm as an idea flashed across his mind. "I hate to bring this up when you're already upset, but I thought I should give you some warning. You're gonna have to find somewhere else to sleep tonight, man."

"What the heck, Jake? Why?"

"Lady Rainicorn's coming over for a sleepover tonight." Jake winked.

"Gross. Where else am I going to sleep, huh?" Finn crossed his arms.

The dog reached over to shove a forkful of spaghetti into his mouth. "I don't know," he said as he chewed. "C'mon, Lady and I haven't had any alone time in forever. Please just do this for me, Finn."

"Why can't you just spend the night at her house?" Finn asked.

"I don't know. She wants to stay here. Please, homie. Please, please, please, please—"

"Okay!"

"Thanks, Finn! You're the coolest guy ever! I'll make sleeping arrangements for you right now." Jake grabbed the walkie-phone and dialed a number. "Marceline, hey babe, I have a favor to ask you. Lady and I need the house tonight, so I was wondering if Finn could just—"

Finn hit the phone and sent it flying out of Jake's hand. "What are you doing? Are you insane?"

"Yes I am, but that has almost nothing to do with this." He stretched to pick up the phone, then brought it back up to ear. "Sorry about that, I dropped the phone. Anyway, I was thinking maybe Finn could spend the night at your house tonight."

Finn could hear the quiet murmur of the vampire's voice through the phone's speaker.

"Yeah I know, but it'll just be for tonight. Make him sleep on that stone couch of yours or something."

The boy held his breath as he heard the murmur again. He studied Jake's expression for an answer, but the dog kept a poker face the entire time.

"I understand that, Marceline, but the kid needs a place to sleep. He's doing me a favor by giving Lady and I some alone time, so can't you just do this for him?"

…The murmur again….

Jake's face grew flustered. "You know what, Marcy, you've hurt him enough as it is. He came home from your house today crying and depressed. All he needs is a place to sleep, and you're telling me you can't even do that for the poor guy? Really?"

….

"Thank you. He just has to get his bag packed and get situated. He'll be over when he's ready." Jake hit the 'end' button and gave Finn a smile. "You're in, dude! You can thank me later."

Finn slapped his hand to his forehead. "This is going to be a disaster."

The boy hurried to his room to throw some pajamas and a change of clothes into his pack. He also added a toothbrush and some underwear.

"You might want to put two pairs of undies into that bag. You know, in case things get messy…"

"Gah! Gross, Jake!"

The dog laughed and left the room. Finn threw himself onto his bed and closed his eyes. He shook, but he couldn't determine if it was from nervousness or excitement.

He gathered himself and went back down to the kitchen where Jake was waiting for him.

"Everything's going to be fine, Finn, I promise."

Finn sucked in a breath and gave a nod. "Yeah, I'm going to try to make the best of this mess you sucked me into."

"That's the spirit! Now go get your girl!" Jake gave Finn a hard slap on the ass and sent him out the door. "Haha! I'm rooting for you again, homie! Call me and let me know what happens, but not tonight, because I probably won't answer…" With a final wink, Jake closed the door.

Finn drained his lungs of all their air, then slowly filled them again. "I got this," he muttered to himself. Then for the second time that day, he made his way to Marceline's house, though he was no more relaxed than before.


	5. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

When Finn approached the vampire's door, he could scarcely make out the sound of her bass being played, accompanied by her voice. It was just loud enough for him to hear the tune, though he couldn't make out any of the words and some of the notes were unclear. The music was slow and sweet and beautiful. He closed his eyes and focused on the song for a moment, and then he recognized it; it was the same song he heard her playing when he came to her house just hours before.

A floor board creaked as he took a step toward the door. The music stopped suddenly, and Finn looked over to see Marceline peeking at him through the window. She hovered over to the door and opened it quickly.

"Well if it isn't my favorite human," she said as she gave him a half-smile.

"I'm the only human you know," Finn corrected her.

Marceline chuckled. "Exactly."

Finn frowned at her remark.

"It was a joke, Finn. You know I like to play." She gave him a wink. "Lighten up. It'll be a fun night."

They stood there uncomfortably, both at a loss for words.

"Awkward silence," Marceline said after a few moments. She took him by the hand and led him inside. Finn tensed up as she touched him, as though he felt an electrical shock whenever her skin met his.

"So what do you wanna do?" she asked as they stood in the middle of the living room.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, and Marceline, I also want to apologize for being so sensitive earlier. I feel stupid."

"There's nothing to apologize for. You were hurt. I would have reacted the same way."

"Thanks for being cool with it."

"It's no problem. What are friends for?"

_Friends. Only friends. _The word sounded poisonous to the human, but he tried to shake off the impact that that one little word had on him.

"Alright, TV it is." Marceline flipped on the television and went to hover just a few inches above the couch cushion. "Oh, guess what? I had the fantastic idea of putting a pillow on top of the cushion for you. Now you can sit here without being in pain." She gestured to the other cushion where she had placed a small green satin pillow.

"Ha, that's perfect," Finn laughed as he went to take a seat. Even with the pillow it still wasn't exactly comfortable, but it was better.

There he was, sitting in Marceline's living room and watching TV with her. A flood of memories depicting this moment in his dream came crashing into his mind, only they would have been cuddling and kissing, not feet apart on separate ends of a couch. Finn sighed as he felt the heat drain from his body. The thought of being so close to her reminded him of the warmth he felt because of it, though it wasn't really physical since her body was so cold. It was the warmth he felt inside from being around her, and the absence of it gave him chills.

Finn fidgeted uneasily in his seat and glanced at his crush out of the corner of his eye. She brushed a strand of hair out of her face and continued to focus on the glowing television screen, then at the feel of his eyes on her, turned to look at him. He smiled nervously and she returned the expression, then they turned away from each other in unison.

Marceline opened her mouth to speak, then thought for a moment and decided to swallow the words.

"What were you going to say?" Finn asked with a rushed speech.

"I was just going to ask why you liked me…but then I thought that that would be a dumb question."

"Oh…" The boy took a second to think of the right answer. "I think you're amazing." His cheeks filled with color as he spoke.

"Oh?" Marceline said.

"Yeah, I mean, everything about you is just, I don't know, incredible, I guess is a good word. You're so beautiful and sweet and funny and talented. We have a lot in common. You pretend to be bad, but you really aren't, and that's kind of…cute. My stomach tickles when I look at you and it feels like my body temperature raises a thousand degrees. I just want to be with you all the time. You make me happier than anyone I've ever met."

Marceline stared at him wide-eyed, as though the answer he gave wasn't the one she was expecting. "Th-thanks, Finn," she stuttered. Her fingers tapped rhythmically on her knee. "Umm…" She outstretched her arms toward him and leaned in for an embrace. She held him tightly with one arm, and slid her other hand under his hat to run her fingers through his messy hair.

Finn locked her tightly in his arms, hoping that the stronger the hug, the longer she would stay pressed against him.

"That was one of the nicest things that anyone has ever said to me, you know," Marceline whispered into his ear. Finn quivered as her chilled breath tickled his skin.

"I'm gonna be straight with you: you have no idea how hard it is not to kiss you right now." He braced himself for a slap in the face, but instead Marceline giggled and pressed her lips to his cheek.

"Satisfied?" she asked a bit seductively.

"Why do you do that?" Finn released her from his grip and sank into the couch.

"What am I doing, Finn?"

"You're teasing me. I know you don't like me like that, so I don't think it's cool when you pretend that you do. It just gets my hopes up."

"I never said that I didn't like you like that. I just said that we can't be together. There's a huge difference."

Finn's heart skipped a beat. "Wait, you like-like me? For real?"

"I mean, yeah, I guess I do. I've kinda had a little crush on you for a while. Why do you think I was so upset earlier today when you told me about that dream?"

"If I like you and you like me, then why can't we be together? Hold up…this sounds like a conversation we had in my dream. Weird."

"I've already told you once: you do not want to go down that road with me. I'm no good for you. You're better off being with Bonnibel or someone else. I've got way too many emotional issues that you do not want to get involved with, trust me."

"Yep, that's pretty much what you said in my dream. And I still think it's bogus. I don't care how many 'emotional problems' you have or whatever. I just want to be with you. To me, you're perfect," Finn slid one of his hands under hers and began to rub it with his fingers. "Why can't we just try it? If it doesn't work, then it doesn't work. But we'll never know if we don't try."

"F-Finn…no! No, we can't, and I mean it! You do not want to get involved with me. I like you too much to destroy your life, because that's what will happen if you get into a relationship with me." She pulled away from him and went to sit cross-legged on the arm of the couch.

"Just try, Marceline! If it doesn't work then we can break up or whateves. But there's no harm in just trying it."

Marceline's cheeks grew flushed with anger. "I already said no! Now lay off it, Finn!"

The human crawled over to where she was sitting and put his arms around her.

"Wha…what? What are you doing that for? Shouldn't you be mad at me or something?"

"No." Finn took a deep breath. "You won't let anyone be with you because you're scared. You chase people away, and they always run away. But secretly you want someone who'll stay with you, even if you tell them to leave. I don't care if you'll date me or not. You're still my best friend, and I can tell that you're all hurting inside and junk. That's why you're so angry at the fact that someone wants to try to be with you. I'm not going anywhere, Marcy. I'm never going to just go away like everyone else, even if you tell me to a million times."

Marceline became completely numb. She sat still in absolute shock, taking shallow breaths, her eyes unblinking. Finn just tightened his embrace and sat in silence with her.

"G-g-good." It took everything she had to force the words from her throat. "I don't want you to leave, Finn. E-ever."

Finn smiled and intertwined his fingers with hers. "Is this okay?" he asked respectfully.

The vampire nodded. "I'll be right back." She let go of his hand and floated up the ladder to her room. Finn held his breath and focused his hearing in that direction. He could just barely make out the sound of gentle sobs. He felt a slight pain in his chest, which he slowly began to realize happened every time he knew that Marceline was hurt in any way.

She returned after a few minutes, her eyes bloodshot and puffy.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's all good. I just had to get that out." She placed her hand back in his and gave him a reassuring smile. "So, do you think I could get that kiss now?"

A nervous laugh escaped Finn's lips. "You really need to make up your mind."

"Yeah…about that…"

"Marceline…what?"

"Just remind me to tell you later," she said. "It'll just ruin the moment."

"What aren't you telling—" His speech was cut short by her lips crushing against his. Finn's train of thought blew away like leaves on a windy autumn night. The sweetness of her breath clouded his mind as his lips danced slowly with the rhythm of hers. It was just that kiss in that moment…and nothing else existed.


	6. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"You are a complete mystery to me," Finn breathed as Marceline abstained from kissing him. His back was pressed against the arm of the couch, her body compressed against his, their legs entangled.

The only response she offered was a devilish grin and a gentle nibble of one of his fingertips. Finn gave her a warm smile and pressed his forehead to hers. The reality of the situation came flooding into his conscience all at once, and for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, he felt truly happy. She was his, for real this time, and that's all that really mattered.

"So are you going to tell me that secret now?" Finn asked, his voice slow and calm.

"Not yet. I'll tell you tomorrow before you leave."

"What? Balzacks. What's the deal?"

"I don't want to ruin our night. I'll tell you tomorrow, I promise. I just want tonight to be fun and carefree," Marceline said.

"Yeah, that's cool," Finn agreed as he reached up to kiss her cheek.

"Wanna go outside and get some air?" the vampire suggested as she lifted herself off of Finn's body. "It's a beautiful night."

Finn gave her a puzzled look. "Night? I only got here about an hour ago, and it was only four o'clock then. It's still daytime."

"No, you've been here for a while, Mr. Hero. The time must be slipping away from you. Go look outside."

Finn sauntered over to the window to investigate the Vampire Queen's claims. Low and behold, the cave was decorated in a pitch black curtain of darkness. "That doesn't make sense," he whispered under his breath. "There's no way I've been here over an hour."

Marceline threw her bass strap over her shoulder and the instrument lie at an angle across her back. "Time flies when you're having fun, huh, Finn?" She winked and took his hand.

They exited the cave and went to sit on the edge of the cliff, their feet dangling loosely over the edge. The air was as crisp and smooth as the surface of a stagnant pond. The full moon illuminated the landscape in its silver light, brightening the surrounding world enough to see for what seemed like miles across the flat terrain. Finn tilted his head up to gawk at the stars that were splatter-painted against the black canvas of the night sky.

"Do you ever wonder what death is like?" Marceline broke the deafening silence with her question.

"Death?" The corners of Finn's mouth sank. "I don't know. It kind of bums me out to think about it. Why?"

"It was just something I've been curious about. You're only a mortal human, so you'll probably only live about a hundred years, if you're lucky. I'm immortal, so I'm doomed to live forever. My perspective of death and yours has got to be really different, so I was just wondering what you thought about it."

"Umm…I really don't know. I mean, I don't wanna die anytime soon, if that's what you mean. I like being alive."

Marceline sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "It must be nice to worry about dying. I know that sounds totally messed up, but it's the truth. You know that you won't live forever, so you get to enjoy life and hope that death doesn't come knocking anytime soon. I'm already dead, but at the same time, I'm still here and alive. I'm going to be here forever and there's no way around it. If I could die someday, like actually die, I would. It just must be nice to be able to fear death as opposed to welcome it; to treasure your life so much that you don't want it to end. I just wish that I could feel that way, too."

Finn was at a loss for words. He put his arm about her shoulders and kissed the top of her forehead.

"You want to know something weird that I'm starting to realize, though?"

"Sure," Finn said.

The vampire lifted her head to look him straight in the eyes. "Ever since I met you, the fact that I have to live forever hasn't bothered me as much. I know that you won't be able to be in my un-life forever, but since I know that I'm going to have you for at least a little while, I'm happy and a lot more carefree. I know that this is going to sound totally mushy, but it's almost like you make immortality worth living, so long as I get to spend at least some of it with you." Then she brushed her lips against his.

He picked up her hand and kissed it, then leaned in to softly kiss her lips. "And no matter what, as long as I'm alive I'll be with you, Marcy. You can count on it."

The thought of ever leaving her caused Finn's eyes to well up. Be it by death or simply a break-up, the idea of not being with Marceline crushed him inside. _I could be immortal, too, _he thought. _I love life, so I wouldn't mind living forever. And if it meant that I would always be with Marceline…why not?_

"Hey, Marceline?" Finn began, nerves shaking his voice.

"Hmm?"

"You can turn people into vampires, right? I mean, all you have to do is bite them?"

Marceline scowled at him. "How did I know that you were going to bring this up, Finn? I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no."

"But—"

"Don't even start, Finn," she spat, the words dripping off her tongue like venom.

"It would make you happy, and it would make me happy."

She bent her fingers into claw-like shapes and outstretched them toward his neck. "You are the most reluctant, stubborn boy I have ever met! Why can't you just accept the fact that the answer is no sometimes?"

"Because that's not the answer I want," Finn said as he crossed his arms.

"There's no way in hell I'm going to do that to you, Finn. Being immortal is just about the worst thing that could ever happen to anyone. You honestly think I'm going to do that to someone, especially someone I love and care about? There's no way." Marceline's eyes were fixed somewhere off in the distance.

"Well I think—"

"We are done discussing this! Do you hear me? Done."

"Fine!" Finn yelled it a bit louder than he intended. His voice bounced around through the canyon walls, becoming more and more modest until it finally faded into nothing.

The human turned his back to Marceline and brought his knees up to his chin, still exasperated from frustration. After a few minutes, the sound of music brought him to turn to face her again.

Marcy sat with one leg bent over the other, only she was ascended two feet off the ground. Her eyes were closed as she plucked at the strings of her bass. Beautiful notes cascaded from her fingertips, filling the tranquil night with lively sound. Finn recognized it again as the song he'd heard her playing both times he showed up at her house, but this time he could hear it clearly. She began to hum, and Finn sighed as a gentle stream of music flowed through his ears. Her voice collided perfectly with the music, intertwining together to create something that was only comparable to some form of magic.

"Is that the new song you told me about?" Finn questioned after shaking off the trance her music put him under.

She gave him a nod so she could continue to hum.

"It's totally math."

"Thanks. It's pretty special to me." She kept plucking at her bass.

Finn smiled. "Can I hear the lyrics?"

She discontinued playing unexpectedly and laid the instrument on her lap. "Wanna go back inside? It's getting kind of chilly." The wind had begun to pick up a bit.

"Okay..."

When they entered her living room, Marceline flew to carefully place her bass in the corner. "Alright, we need sleeping arrangements," Marceline said as she wrapped an arm around the human.

"I can sleep on the rock if you want me to." Finn gestured toward the couch by tilting his head toward it.

"No, you'll never be able to sleep. You can just sleep with me in my bed. I seriously don't mind." She gave him a seductive smile.

He blushed. "Okay, that's cool."

Marceline giggled and lifted his hat to press her lips to his neck. She kissed it only once, but Finn still sighed at the feel of it. "Mmm…being so close to your neck is making me hungry."

His eyes grew wide at the comment.

The vampire laughed. "Calm down, human. I'm going to go get an apple from the kitchen. You want one?"

Finn released a long breath of relief. "Sure, that sounds good."

Marceline returned after a few seconds with two apples, one red and one green. She tossed the green one to Finn, then sank her fangs into the other one to drain it of its crimson color. "Delish,' she said as she licked her lips.

Finn nodded, then took a large chunk out of the fruit and presumed to chew it. He stripped the apple's core in record time, went to throw the remnants in the garbage, and sucked the juice off of his fingers. "I guess I didn't realize how hungry I was."

She chuckled. "There's more food if you want something else."

"Naw, I'm good."

They stood there silently for a moment. "So…" Marceline began. "Would you…like to come to bed with me?"

Finn's heart pounded feverishly in his chest. He had to stand up straight to keep his knees from knocking together. "S-sure."

"Ha, alright. I'm going to go change into something more confortable. You can get dressed down here, and meet me upstairs in five minutes?"

"Yeah…yep, sounds good, girl…uhh, babe…uhh, Marceline." Finn choked.

She let out a loud burst of laughter. "You are a trip, Finn!" Then she disappeared through the hole in her ceiling.

_Oh my Glob. Oh my Glob. Oh my Glob._

Finn fumbled with his pajamas, his trembling hands unable to hold them still long enough for his legs to slide into the appropriate holes. "Get yourself together, man. Calm down, be cool; it's all going to be fine."

"You just keep telling yourself that," Marceline snickered.

Finn gasped as he turned around to see the vampire standing right behind him. She was dressed casually for bed in a black tank top that was tight enough to expose all of her curves and grey cotton shorts. _She looks crazy sexy, _he thought as he looked her up and down to get an eyeful.

Marceline chuckled and to Finn's surprise, blushed slightly. "Is that all you'll be wearing to bed?"

The boy glanced down and to his dismay noticed that the only article of clothing he was wearing was a pair of underwear. He quickly crossed his arms in front on his body, his face as red as the apple that Marceline sucked the color from.

"Fine by me," Marceline said. "However, if you want to keep that underwear on all night, I suggest you put on some more clothes."

That only made Finn's face become redder. He quickly slipped on his red PJ's, his shaking hands cooperating more easily with the urgency he had to cover himself. When he was situated he followed Marceline up the ladder to her bedroom.

"I'm going to brush my teeth really quick. You can go after me if you want," Marceline told him. When she finished she came walking back into her room where Finn was waiting for her close to the doorway.

"I just wanted to tell you that you look really good," Finn said hurriedly. "I kinda want to kiss you really badly…"

Marceline threw her arms around his neck, and pretty soon their lips were pressed together. She opened her mouth just a bit and brushed her tongue against his, then did it again. The cool taste of mint flooded Finn's taste buds. She pulled away and smiled. "Happy?"

Finn nodded, his eyes half shut in a daze. He grabbed his toothbrush out of his pack and stumbled into the bathroom. Marceline was lying in bed when he walked out.

She patted an area of the bed next to her, signaling Finn to come lay down. He did as he was told, then he vampire pulled up the sheets and they both crawled under them. The softness and warmth that the covers provided felt good against Finn's body. He sighed with comfort and snuggled into the mattress, his mind letting go of all of his worries, if only for a moment.

Marceline pulled herself closer to the boy, positioning her body so that their faces were aligned and only a couple centimeters apart. Finn closed the small gap between them, fitting their bodies together perfectly and pressing their foreheads and noses together.

"Thanks for staying over," she whispered. "I like having you here."

"I love being here, Marcy." With that, he pecked her lips.

Neither of them spoke a word for a while. They simply lie there and gazed into each other's eyes, their minds fixated on nothing but one another. It wasn't until Marceline kissed him that there was any movement at all. He kissed her back gently until it progressed into something more passionate. They kissed each other more strongly than they ever had before, be it in a dream or not. Finn's mind went blank. The only emotions he could feel were love and lust, and the only thought that entered his mind was how badly he wanted her…

Finn turned Marceline over onto her back and climbed of top of her, his lips moving in unison with hers. He pulled away and moved his mouth down her jaw and to her neck, his hands grasping the sides of her shirt. Soon his lips drifted up to meet hers again.

Slowly, Finn moved his hand up Marceline's side, but she grabbed his wrist right before he got near her chest.

"Slow down there, Mr. Hormones," she giggled.

Appalled at what he tried to do, Finn rolled off of her and buried his head in a pillow, creating a distance between the two of them. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't help it. I couldn't even think straight…I mean…gah!" His voice was muffled by the fabric he had his face in.

"Settle down, Finn. It's fine. You didn't do anything bad. The only reason I stopped you is because I know that when it was all over, you would have regretted it. I don't have a problem with it, but I know you do. I was just trying to save you some agony."

"Oh…" Finn lifted his head, his face plastered with embarrassment. "Thanks for lookin' out, Marcy. I know I want to take this whole relationship thing slow and stuff, but it's crazy hard sometimes. Especially when I'm alone in a bed with you and you look so hot and…I don't know."

"I get it. Believe me, it's hard for me, too. You're just not ready yet, and that's totally cool. We'll just wait until you're a little older for all of _that _stuff. For now, we'll just continue to kiss the hell out of each other. Sound good?"

"Haha, yeah, that's pretty mathematical."

Finn went back to lay with his girlfriend. He spread his arm out and she turned over onto her side to rest her head on his chest while placing her right arm over his stomach. He delicately kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, Marceline," he expressed.

The vampire reached over Finn's body to grab his hand. "I love you too, Finn."

Slowly the boy relaxed and drifted off to sleep, but Marceline remained wide awake for hours, her mind swarmed with a hundred questions and thoughts that she was afraid of knowing the answers to, or the outcomes of.


	7. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Finn's eyes shot open in a panic, his heart pounding wildly. It wasn't until he felt cool breath on his neck that he noticed the girl with hair as black as a raven's feathers sleeping on him. He released a sigh of relief and lifted his head a bit to allow himself to see her better. _It wasn't a dream. Oh my Glob, it was all real._

He threw his head back onto the pillow and began to brush his fingers serenely through her hair. She suddenly jostled in her sleep and muttered something unintelligible, her breathing heavy and her expression showing pain and anguish.

"It's okay, Marcy, it's okay," he said quietly as he tried to calm her. "It's just a dream. You're safe. I won't let anything hurt you."

At the sound of his voice she settled down and snuggled into his body, clutching his arm. He continued to stroke her hair, and once in a while he would kiss the top of her head or rub her back. He did this for a few hours until she awoke.

"Good morning," he said as soon as she opened her eyes.

Marceline yawned, outstretched her arms, and gave him a smile. "Good morning, love."

Finn's face filled with color at the sound of that sweet word. He brushed her cheek with the side of his forefinger and leaned in to press his lips hard against hers.

"Don't you think it'll a little early for that?" she whispered into his ear after the kiss ended, and then nibbled the lobe of it playfully.

"No," Finn said defensively. "I can kiss you any time of the day I want." To prove his point, he laid the vampire onto her back and straddled her, then kissed her mouth hard again. He pulled her bottom lip very gently with his teeth before he pulled away. "See?"

Marceline giggled and tore the hat off his head. She tilted her head to the side to run her lips across his neck, and when Finn let out a sigh she laughed harder. "I have found your weakness, hero," she joked. She slid herself out from under the boy's body and bounced the hat tauntingly in front of his face. "And now I have your most prized possession."

"Snap!" Finn played along. "You'd better give that back, or so help me…"

"Well," she whispered, bringing her face only an inch from his. "You're going to have to fight me for it."

Finn raised an eyebrow. He grabbed for the hat, but she moved it out of his reach just before his fingertips could brush the white fabric. He gave her a wicked grin and reached for it again, but her hand dodged his grasp. Even though he missed, the smile still tugged at his lips.

"What?" Marceline asked.

Before she could utter another word, Finn reached his hands to her sides and began to violently tickle her ribs.

"F-Finn!" She screeched with earsplitting laughter. "Stop! Finn! Right…right now!"

Finn didn't let up. He threw the girl onto the bed and leaned over her, his fingers moving rapidly up and down her sides.

"Finn! Knock it off!" Marceline screamed as she laughed uncontrollably.

"Do you surrender?"

"Okay! Okay! Yes, I…I surrender!"

Finn chuckled. "I win. And I have found your weakness as well, Vampire Queen."

"Ha! In your dreams, human. I have no weaknesses." Then she turned the hat around and pulled it over his head backwards.

Finn adjusted it and glared at her. A loud gurgle vibrated through his stomach.

"Breakfast time?" Marceline asked as she poked his belly.

"Defs."

They went down to the kitchen where Marceline began to fumble through her cupboards. A couple of noisy bams and clanks later, she stood up holding a large black frying pan by its handle. It was placed on top of the stove, and with the turn of a button a small orange and blue flame rose under it. The vampire grabbed a package out of her fridge, ripped it open, and laid ten strips of bacon into the pan. It came to life as it danced and crackled, the heat controlling it as though it was its puppet master.

When the bacon became crisp Marceline fished it out of the pan with a spatula and set all of the strips neatly on a thin stack of paper towels. "Come and get it," she told Finn who was already seated at the table.

"Serve yourself first," he said politely. I'll eat what you don't want."

She shrugged and took five pieces for herself. The ends of the strips went into her mouth one at a time. She bit down on each one and sucked the red into her mouth, then displayed them for the human to see.

"Woah, white bacon." Finn was in awe as he stared at the drained meat.

"Yeah, it's something you don't see every day."

He stood up and helped himself to the rest of the food that remained, finishing all of it off quickly. "That was great. Thanks, Marcy."

"Don't mention it."

Finn sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and eyed the top of the table, his fingers hurriedly rapping its surface.

"What's up?" Marceline asked as she noticed his usual nervous actions.

"Well, it's morning," he pointed out, his voice faltering. "You told me that you would tell me that secret."

She froze for a moment, her mind occupied in deep thought. "I did, didn't I?"

Finn nodded.

Marceline sucked in a breath and went to join him at the table. She placed both of her hands on top of his and firmly held his gaze. The room was drowned in a deafening silence that made Finn's ears ring. His breathing quickened with anticipation.

"Well, Finn…in order for me to tell you and for you to better understand…you're going to have to wake up."

The boy's heart halted for a split second. "W-wake up?"

Marceline nodded, her eyes soft. "You're dreaming. You have been this entire time."

He became dizzy and nauseated; the room was suddenly spinning in circles around him. "Wh-what? No, I'm not...I'm awake. I'm not dreaming. I'm…"

"You're asleep on my couch right now, Finn. You fell asleep when you came over two nights ago, and you haven't woken up yet. Remember when you said that you had to go home because Jake would flip and I told you to stay for another hour? You fell asleep when we were watching TV, right after I told you about 'how we can lose control someday, but not yet.' You kind of just drifted off to sleep."

Finn was in a daze. "I…I'm asleep right now? Every single thing that's happened has been a dream? Like…everything?"

"Almost. I'm going to wake you up now. You've been asleep for almost two days, so I would assume you're pretty well rested. I'll explain this more to you when you awaken." With that, she snapped her fingers twice and everything went dark.

Finn opened his eyes and looked frantically around the room. The light pink walls gave away the fact that he was in Marceline's living room. He stood up, rubbed his eyes, and moaned when he felt a sharp pain in his back.

"Yeah, two days of sleeping on that couch will do that to ya." Marceline was seated on the arm of the red furniture.

The human examined himself only to realize that we was no longer wearing his red pajamas, but was dressed in his usual outfit consisting of blue jean shorts and a light blue shirt. "You'd better start explaining some things," he said angrily.

"I kind of cast a tiny dream spell on you," she began calmly. "When you fell asleep, it seemed like the perfect opportunity."

"Dream spell?"

"Yeah. It allows me to control your dreams."

Finn raised an eyebrow. "So everything that I just dreamt about was your doing? You controlled everything that happened in it?"

"Not everything. You controlled your own actions. But anyway, I thought it was pretty clever myself."

"You…wha…This doesn't make any sense. I'm still really confused," Finn admit.

Marceline rolled her eyes. "I'll sum it up, brainiac. You came over two days ago to hang out with me. I pulled a prank on you and told you that I needed a king. We started making out and junk, both admitting to one another that we liked each other. You said you had to go home and I told you to stay for another hour, we watched TV, and you passed out on my couch. All of that actually happened. It wasn't a dream like you thought it was. Are you following me so far?"

"I think so." Finn rested his chin on his knee.

"Okay. When you fell asleep, I cast a dream spell on you. I made you have a dream about Jake and me not remembering anything about you ever coming over. That way you would think that it never happened. You leaving my house and going back to the tree fort to sleep, Jake telling you that you were asleep all night and never came to my house, you coming and talking to me, me telling you that you never came over, you being all depressed, you coming over and spending the night, and even us waking up and having breakfast…that was all a dream. None of it ever really happened." The vampire spoke slowly and carefully as though she was trying to explain something simple to a small child.

"So everything that I thought was a dream was actually reality, and everything that I thought was reality was actually a dream…"

"Bingo! I knew you'd get it. Pretty cool, huh?"

Finn's face altered from pale white to dark red in a matter of seconds. "Why the hell would you do that to me, Marceline? Do you know how much pain and sadness I went through because of it?"

Her devilish grin faded into a sincere frown. "I-I wanted to see if you really liked me. It was kind of like a test to see if you wanted me badly enough to fight for me, even after you thought that I was never really yours… And then you told me that you would never leave me no matter what and…and I knew that you truly liked me."

Finn's breathing became heavy enough to flare his nostrils every time he released a breath of air. "Now that's just insulting! You don't trust me, so you had to test me to see if I was telling the truth about liking you! Really?"

"I know…I know. I'm so sorry, Finn. I know that it was a mistake and that I never should have done that to you." Her eyes welled with tears. "I can't even tell you how sorry I am. Gah, I'm so stupid!"

"I can usually handle your jokes and your pranks, but you've really crossed the line on this one. I honestly can't believe you, Marcy. How am I ever going to trust you, huh? I can't even be around you without wondering if I'm actually awake or not." Finn glared at her and made his way to the door in a rage.

"Finn…"

The boy shook his head. A single drop of saltwater slid down his cheek, leaving a silvery trail behind it. "I'm going home. Please just…don't talk to me for a while."

Finn paused for a moment expecting a response, but when he heard only silence he began to slowly close the door. Marceline hovered to the corner of the room to grab her bass guitar and began to play it, tears streaming down her cheeks. For some reason unknown to the human, the music drew him back into the house. The fact that he had absolutely no desire to be there vanished as she played those incredible notes. It was the same song that she had played several times in his dream.

The vampire expanded her lungs as she tried to calm herself, then opened her mouth to sing.

_Another thousand years I'd wait for you._

_I only hope someday you'll love me, too._

_I know I can be angry,_

_I know I can be cruel._

_I just wish you'd realize_

_the only change I need is you._

_I have to live for all eternity,_

_but I don't really care._

_Understand that I'll be happy_

_so long as you are there._

_I don't know why I feel this way._

_It's something I can't explain._

_You're the only one I know_

_who can banish all the pain._

_I know I can be hurtful_

_but there are very few_

_who even start to realize_

_the only change I need…is you._

Finn stood there, awestruck, his entire body trembling. He had never heard anything more beautiful or perfect in his entire life.

"I kind of lied in your dream. I know that you're getting pretty sick of my lies and all…but when I told you that I had just started writing that song a day ago…that wasn't true. I've actually been working on it for months." She tilted her mouth into a half-smile. "I didn't want to sing it for you when you asked me to because I was too embarrassed. I figured that you'd just laugh at it and tell me about how mushy it was." Marceline set her bass back down in its designated area and went to take a seat on the couch.

Finn offered no reply except to stare at her wide-eyed. If he was competing in a statue impersonation contest, the blue ribbon would have easily been awarded to him.

"I know you hate me and that song probably didn't change that, but I figured that since you didn't want me to talk to you for a while then I had might as well play it for you." She pursed her lips and flew over to where he was standing, then waved a hand a few inches in front of his face. "Finn?"

The boy shook his head and glanced up at her. "I…I mean…it's…was that song written about me?"

The vampire gently punched his shoulder. "Duh."

Finn pondered for a moment as a war between two emotions raged inside him. He felt an even mixture of anger and happiness, blanketing his mind with confusion.

"I really am so sorry about what I did, Finn. Just know that I regret it like, a ton. I don't expect you to forgive me any time soon, but please just keep that in the back of your head."

_Gah! I don't know if I should walk away and slam the door behind me, or wrap my arms around her waist and kiss her for hours. Walk away…kiss her…walk away…kiss her. Hmm…I have no clue. No matter what she does or how ticked off she makes me, I can't stop being in love with her. Emotions suck. _

"You can leave if you want. You don't have to stay," she said sadly.

_Think, man. What are you going to do?_

"I mean, I would understand if you never wanted to see me again."

Finn tapped his foot in rhythm with his breathing. _Why do I have to love her so much?_

Marceline sighed. "I told you that all I'm going to do is hurt you."

_It's not like she meant to hurt me. She just has some wack trust issues._

"I really love you, Finn. I mean, I love you a lot. I don't want to lose you because I did something really stupid."

Without thinking, Finn put his forefinger to Marceline's lips. "I've told you already that you won't ever lose me. You might hurt my feelings sometimes, but everyone hurts each other once in a while. It happens, but there's no way that that's gonna change my feelings toward you. You're a radical dame…and I love you, too."

Finn wrapped her in his arms and pressed his lips to her cheek, then gently kissed her mouth.

Marceline smiled and placed her arms about his neck. Her heart felt incredibly light. "So, would you still like to do the honors of being my boyfriend?"

"Of course, m'lady, as long as you'll do the honors of being my girlfriend."

"Why of course." Then she leaned in to put her lips to his ear. "But being in a relationship with me does mean that the tricks and pranks will continue, you know. I just can't help myself."

Finn let out a long breath and gazed into her eyes. "Yeah, I figured you were going to say that. It's worth it, I think."

"I'm glad you think so," she said wickedly. "Now I just have to plan the next perfect surprise."

"Honestly, Marcy, after all that just happened, you're already thinking of how to make my life miserable again?"

The vampire intertwined her fingers with his. "I'm sorry, Finn," she chuckled. "It's kind of inevitable."


	8. Author's Note

Author's Note

Hi everyone! I hope you all enjoyed reading my story. I just wanted to thank you guys so much for taking the time to read it and for all the reviews you gave me. A few of them about made me cry (happy tears). I didn't think I would get nearly as many positive reviews as I did, let alone people begging me to write more. I've never been very confident in my writing abilities. The great things you guys said about my story and my writing in general really boosted my confidence. I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate it. Nothing in the world makes me happier than for someone to tell me that they love my writing. It's just about the greatest compliment, in my perspective, that anyone could ever give me.

I got a few complaints about the shortness of my chapters, and I wanted to apologize for that. I'm a person who likes to get into a lot of detail when I write. I figured that since these are supposed to be short stories, I should keep my chapters short and sweet. If I wrote Inevitable the same way I write my books, it would be super long and detailed, and I figured you guys would just lose interest by about the hundredth page or so. I think I will, however, write my FanFic chapters a bit longer from now on, since I do agree with you on the fact that my chapters in this story were a little (way) too short. Just remember to hold me to that, because bad habits are hard to break!

I hope to publish quite a few more stories. I think that I'm going to make a sequel to Inevitable, but I haven't quite decided yet. If I do, it'll probably have some more twists that I'm going to throw in. Twists make a story fun, and I'm starting to realize that most of my stories have them. Hehehe.

I also wanted to say that I am just blown away by a lot of the stories that I've read on this website. There are so many talented and imaginative writers on here. I honestly wish that I could write as well as half of you. You guys are all doing incredible jobs, and I hope you continue to write, because I can't wait to read your guys' best-selling books someday!

I think that about sums up everything that I want to say. I hope that you guys continue to read and review my stories. I absolutely love reviews, so please leave lots of them! Again, thank you all so much for your time.

I'll leave off with a quote by one of my favorite authors that seems really appropriate for my story. "_All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream."_

_ ~Edgar Allan Poe_

Peace. Love. Literature.

Sincerely,

SilverWolf


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